The present invention relates generally to adjustment apparatus for adjusting the height or position of parts of an exercise machine, such as load engaging parts including exercise arms or cables, or non-load engaging parts such as seats or back pads.
In order to accommodate users of various shapes and sizes, exercise equipment has traditionally had adjustable components. Seats, back pads, platforms, exercise arms, and cable ends used for attaching various handles or grips are all typically adjustably mounted. This provides the user with the ability to tailor the machine or bench to fit their specific needs. This is particularly useful in a commercial setting such as a health club, because of the many different users having access to the equipment. Convenience, durability and safety are three important factors in the design and implementation of component adjustability.
Adjustable parts or components of exercise machines are normally mounted on one of a pair of telescoping adjustment tubes, with an adjuster on the other tube for engaging the first tube to secure the part in a selected position. There are two major categories of adjuster: stationary and movable. Stationary adjusters are fixed in place and are part of the equipment framework. Movable adjusters are designed to travel with the part that is being adjusted. Within these two categories are two sub-categories: adjusters that directly engage and disengage an adjuster tube (single stage) and those that require a secondary link or connection (two stage). In each of these sub-categories there are adjusters which have fixed incremental settings, and those without fixed settings.
Adjusters without fixed incremental settings provide infinite adjustability anywhere along the adjustment path. They can be quicker and easier to use because the user does not have to locate a fixed position when making the adjustment. There are generally three types of infinite adjusters. The first type of infinite adjuster uses a threaded tension knob to apply pressure to hold the adjusting member in place. The user simply turns the knob to secure or release the adjustable member. Although this type of adjuster is easy to use and inexpensive, it has a number of flaws. First, the threaded end of the adjuster mars the finish on the inner adjusting tube, and severe over-tightening can strip the threads and require replacement. Secondly, if the knob loosens during use, the adjusted part will slip, which may cause injury to the user. Also, in commercial use, it is common for one user to over-tighten the knob, making it difficult for others to loosen it. Finally, adjustment positions cannot be easily documented or repeated. If a user finds an ideal position one day, it will be almost impossible for the user to place the part in exactly the same position on subsequent uses of the equipment. It is important when exercising to know your positioning on each piece of equipment. Full range of motion, amount of pre-stretch, and axis of rotation positioning are all determined by the exercise arm, platform, seat or back pad positioning. If the user is not in the proper position, they will not receive the full benefit from the exercise, and could even risk potential injury.
The threaded tension knob adjuster is a single stage or direct engagement adjuster. Because it relies solely on the amount of tension applied by the user, it can never be used safely on a load engaging adjustable member.
The second type of infinite adjuster uses leverage and the weight of the adjusting part itself to wedge or secure it in place. This is another example of a single stage adjuster, and is a movable type of adjuster. In order to make the adjustment, a user must lift the free end of the adjustable part, thereby releasing its weight and allowing the adjuster to move. One problem with this design is that, once tension is released, gravity and the weight of the part (platform, seat, exercise arm, or the like) can make it hard to control. The user must be paying attention and use both hands or the part could fall. If the front end of an unoccupied seat is accidentally bumped, the seat could drop and damage the equipment or cause injury. This is a safety liability and this type of adjuster should only be used on non-load engaging members. This adjuster also has problems due to lack of position identification and repeatability.
The third type of infinite adjuster is an assisted adjuster. This uses a gas shock to move and hold the adjustable member in place. It is generally used for non-load bearing seat and back pad adjustments because the adjustment length is limited to the displacement or stroke of the gas shock device. It requires the strength of the shock device""s internal system to hold the adjuster in place. While it works well for adjustment in one direction, into the extended position of the shock device, it requires force, such as the user""s body weight, to push against the assisting device or shock in the opposite direction. Because of this, it is difficult to make adjustments unless the user is in the exercise position. This type of adjuster is relatively expensive to produce and maintain or service. Also, it is a two-stage system which requires use of a cable to connect the adjustment lever to the gas shock, and has the same problem as the other infinite adjusters with position identification and repeatability.
Gas shocks without cable connectors can also be used in conjunction with fixed incremental single stage adjusters such as pull-pins, in order to offset the weight of the part being adjusted. This can permit position identification. However, the problems of adjustment distance and expense of the device still arise in this type of adjuster.
Fixed incremental adjusters, while providing fewer adjustment positions, are more secure and provide the ability for the user to accurately, identify, and repeat, an adjustment position. They utilize a direct pinning system to lock the adjustable member in place. There are generally six types of fixed adjusters.
The first type of fixed adjuster is a straight through pin which extends through a single through hole on an outside tube into one of a series of holes on an inner telescoping tube. A straight pin adjuster of this type is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,882,283 of Stevens. This adjuster is a single stage adjuster which can be used on both load engaging and non-load engaging members of an exercise machine. The part or component to be adjusted may be secured to either the inner or the outer telescoping tube, with the other tube being fixed to the framework of the machine. This is a simple and effective way to lock the adjustable member in place. Because the adjusted part is secured in a fixed location, its position can easily be identified and repeated. The disadvantage of this design is that the pin can work itself loose and back out. This will cause a seat to drop or an exercise arm to come loose, which can cause serious injury. Another disadvantage is that the pin is easily misplaced, because it is not attached to the equipment, and this renders the equipment inoperable.
The second type of fixed adjuster uses a spring-loaded pull pin to replace the straight pin. Again, this is a single stage adjuster which can be used on both load engaging and non-load engaging adjustable members. In this design, a hole is drilled in one wall of the outer of two telescoping tubes, and the pull pin barrel is welded over the hole. The pull pin is a spring-tensioned plunger with a knob on one end, and is secured in the barrel with the knob protruding from the outer end of the barrel. The inner telescoping tube has a series of incrementally spaced pinning holes. The pull pin is pulled back against the spring, one of the two tubes is adjusted to the desired position, and the pull pin is released to extend through the opening in the outer tube and an aligned opening in the inner tube. The adjusted part is held securely in place, and the spring tension prevents the pin from working loose. The adjusted position is easily identified and repeated. One disadvantage to this adjuster is that the user must use both hands to control the adjustable part and to pull the pull pin at the same time.
Another type of fixed incremental adjuster is called a shifter. This is-a two stage adjuster which combines an adjusting lever and a handle in the same part. The lever has a grip on a first end, a connecting link, and a pivot bracket, one of which will be located on the second end and the other of which is located between the two ends. The lever is pivotally connected to either the frame or the movable part and, depending on the location of the pivot bracket, is either depressed or lifted to engage and disengage the pinning button. Because of the additional length needed for a grip, the lever is too long for the direct engagement of an attached pinning button. Therefore, a connecting link is used to connect the lever to a pull-pin type actuator. This design has several disadvantages. First, it requires more space to use because of its increased length and the added parts make it more expensive to build, service, and maintain. Secondly, because the handle and lever are one and the same, it is impossible to control the movement of the part and engage the pinning button (by releasing the lever) at the same time. While this adjuster can be used on both load engaging and non-load engaging adjustable members, the user must use a second hand or their feet (for leg engaging exercise members) to control the movable part.
The fourth type of fixed incremental adjuster is known as a twist and lift adjustment system. In this system, a round outer telescoping tube has a central channel or slot machined along a part of its length, with a series of downwardly angled slots running off to one side of the channel at spaced intervals. The round inner tube has a pin or bolt protruding outwardly and captured in the channel in the outer tube. This system is designed exclusively for seat and back pad adjustment. The seat or back pad is held in an adjusted position by engagement of the pin in one of the angled slots. In order to adjust the seat or back pad position, the user must twist and lift the pad, which in turn twists and lifts the pin out of the angled slot and back into the straight channel or slot. From this point, the pad or seat can be moved into a new position, with the pin moving along the straight channel. Once the desired position is reached, the pad or seat is twisted back to engage the pin in the appropriate angled slot. This is a quick and simple single stage adjuster that allows adjusted positions to be readily identified and repeated. Because this system can only be used with round tubing, it is costly to machine the channel and slots in the outer tube, and difficult to position the seat or back pad square to the frame. Another disadvantage is the limited number of possible adjustment positions, and the increased distance between these positions compared with other systems. A further disadvantage is that, if an unoccupied seat is bumped sideways, the pin may slide into the straight channel, allowing the seat to fall and potentially causing damage or injury.
The fifth type of fixed adjuster is the ratcheting lever system. This consists of a lever pivotally mounted on the outer telescoping tube and having a first end from which a pinning button projects. The pinning button protrudes through a hole in the outer tube and a selected hole in the inner tube. The lever is pivoted at a point between its first and second ends, and is designed to ratchet or automatically disengage from the inner tube hole when the adjustable member is moved in a first direction, yet instantly pin the inner tube and secure it from movement in a second direction. When the adjustable member is moved in the first direction, the first edge of an inner tube pinning hole engages the first end of the lever, forcing it to pivot outward and allowing the tube to adjust. The lever is weighted or biased so as to always remain in contact with the inner tube. This allows the first lever end or pinning button to briefly engage each pinning hole as it passes and instantly seat into an aligned pinning hole when the movement is stopped. Because the lever is designed to pivot in one direction only, movement in a second direction wedges the second edge of an inner tube pinning hole against the first or protruding end of the lever, securing the adjustable member in place. In order to adjust from a locked position, the lever must be pivoted by depressing its second end, disengaging the first end from the inner tube pinning hole and permitting relative movement between the inner and outer tubes.
While the ratcheting lever system has the ease and convenience of assisted adjusters, and can be adjusted with one hand in one direction, like the twist and lift system, the ratcheting feature only works when the lever is placed parallel to, and in line with, the inner tube pinning holes. This single stage adjuster is particularly suitable for seat and back pad adjustment, and it can be easily activated by the physically challenged individual, without using fingers. However, because of the ratcheting feature, it can only be used on unidirectional exercise arms and cable ends with unidirectional pull.
The sixth type of fixed increment adjuster uses a bicycle brake handle as the adjuster lever. It is a two stage adjuster that is used in conjunction with a handle and requires a cable to link the lever to the pull-pin actuator. The user places the handle in the web of their hand, between the thumb and index finger, and squeezes the lever using their fingers in order to disengage the pinning button. The user must release the brake handle lever in order to re-engage the pinning button. This design has several disadvantages. The web on the user""s hand cannot provide enough control for a moving part, especially one that must be lifted overhead such as an overhead pulley cable end. Once the fingers are released, the user is counting on the strength of the pull-pin spring and the speed at which it propels the pinning button to keep the adjusted part from falling. A second hand or the user""s feet should be used for control. Because it requires a cable link between the handle and the actuator, it is best suited for traveling with the part being adjusted. This increases the cost to both produce and maintain this part.
Thus, all existing adjuster devices for adjustable position exercise machine components are subject to various disadvantages. Infinite adjusters are sometimes not sufficiently secure for safety purposes, and do not allow user""s to accurately identify and reproduce a desired part position. Fixed incremental adjusters are sometimes difficult to use, and some such adjusters can be more expensive to manufacture and maintain. Some fixed incremental adjusters, such as the straight through pin and twist and lift adjuster, are also subject to accidental release, causing potential damage to the machine as well as possible injuries to people in the vicinity.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved adjustment apparatus for adjusting the position of both load-engaging and non-load engaging members on an exercise machine.
An adjustment apparatus for adjusting the position of a member on an exercise machine according one aspect of the present invention comprises an inner tube having a series of spaced, in line, pinning holes, an outer tube telescopically engaged over the inner tube and having a first side wall with a locator hole for alignment with a selected pinning hole, a pivot mount on the outer tube, a lever having first and second ends, a first, pinning section extending from the first end along part of the lever and a second, hand engaging section extending from the pinning section to the second end at an angle to the pinning section, the pinning section being pivotally mounted on the pivot mount to extend in a first direction across the locator hole, having a pinning button projecting towards the locator hole, and being pivotable between an operative position in which the pinning button projects through the locator hole and an aligned pinning hole in the inner tube to secure the tubes together, and a retracted position in which the pinning button is spaced away from the locator hole, a biasing device on the outer tube biasing the lever towards the operative position, and the hand engaging section projecting at an obtuse angle to the pinning section, whereby pressing of the hand engaging section in a second direction by a user moves said pinning button from the operative position to the released position.
In an exemplary embodiment, the pinning section extends across the first side wall in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axes of the telescopically engaged tubes, and the hand engaging section has at least an end portion extending generally alongside the outer tube in a direction substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis. A fixed handle member may be secured to the outer tube such that a handle or hand grip of the member extends alongside and generally parallel with the end portion of the hand-engaging portion of the lever. This permits a user to grab and hold the hand grip with their fingers while urging the hand-engaging portion of the lever towards the hand grip with their thumb, simultaneously releasing the pinning button and allowing position adjustment of a part attached to the outer tube. The user can then easily move the outer tube along the length of the inner tube to the desired position, using the handle to support the weight of the attached part, and then release the lever to re-pin the outer tube to the inner tube. This apparatus therefore requires only one hand to maintain safe and complete control of the adjustment apparatus and attached part.
The lever is made of metal flat bar or plate material in one exemplary embodiment, but may be made of other materials such as round or square tubing, molded plastic, or cast metal. The inner and outer tubes may be of square or rectangular tubular construction, with second and third side walls of the outer tube extending perpendicular to the first side wall in which the locator hole is located. The pinning section in the exemplary embodiment has a length greater than the width of the first side wall, and extends across the first side wall outwardly to one side of the first wall. The biasing device may be mounted on a bracket projecting outwardly from the second wall to engage the lever adjacent its first end. In this case, the pivot mount is located between the first end of the lever and the pinning button. In another embodiment, the pinning button is located adjacent the first end of the lever, and the biasing device acts on a portion of the pinning section on the opposite side of the pivot mount, adjacent the hand-engaging portion of the lever.
In one exemplary embodiment of the invention, the handle is generally L-shaped, with a shorter portion secured to the outer tube and the longer portion extending in a direction generally parallel to the longitudinal axes of the tubes and alongside the hand-engaging section of the lever. In one embodiment, the handle is secured to the first side wall beneath the pinning section of the lever arm. In another embodiment, the handle is secured to a second side wall of the outer tube adjacent the biasing device.
As noted above, the lever may be of flat, plate-like construction with the hand engaging section lying in a plane extending at a generally obtuse angle to the plane of at least the majority of the pinning section. The pinning section may extend either to the right or the left of the hand engaging section, and may be actuated by either hand in either orientation. The hand engaging section preferably has an enlarged end portion for engagement by the user""s thumb, making the lever more comfortable to use. The size and positioning of the hand engaging section allows the physically challenged to actuate the mechanism using the heel of the hand instead of the thumb.
The apparatus of this invention will be much easier to use than grasping and pulling a straight pin or pull pin, or twisting a knob, as in some prior art arrangements. The user needs only one hand when making an adjustment. No additional assistance is needed (hand or feet) to hold and safely control the part being adjusted. Instead, the part is secured to the outer tube, and the user simply grips the handle with their fingers while depressing the hand engaging section with the thumb, allowing the pinning button to be disengaged while controlling movement of the part being adjusted. The direct engaging, single stage design makes the apparatus cost efficient to produce and maintain. The apparatus may be used for adjustment of either load engaging or non-load engaging parts of an exercise machine.